Looking ahead to the next game...

[Cvillehoops13]

VT is struggling mightily on offense and is mired in a losing streak. UVA is riding high and just put an absolute beatdown on GT, giving up a grand total of 38 points in that game.

If the current season's trends hold true for both teams, the temperature of both this board and SG's seat could be increasing significantly around 8PM Sunday night. One game does not a season make but given the struggles already occurring at VT this year, my guess is that results against our biggest rival will be looked at even more closely than usual.

In order to beat Tony Bennett you have to get very creative with your gameplan ant think outside the box, I thought Greenberg did a good job of that two years ago but was dreadful with his plan of attack in Charlottesville last year (easily one of the worst coached games of his career imo).

I think if Greenberg really throws caution to the wind and gets creative and the guys get back to defending then there's a chance VT could pull the upset. I expect a double digit UVa win however.

[VPI 02]

What about matchups? Look at unc, this current version is a team we will never matchup well against. Only way we beat unc is with emotion and catching fire from outside. How do we matchup with UVA? (haven't see them play yet this year)

[Gobbler Guru]

In order to beat Tony Bennett you have to get very creative with your gameplan ant think outside the box, I thought Greenberg did a good job of that two years ago but was dreadful with his plan of attack in Charlottesville last year (easily one of the worst coached games of his career imo).

I think if Greenberg really throws caution to the wind and gets creative and the guys get back to defending then there's a chance VT could pull the upset. I expect a double digit UVa win however.

I haven't seen a lot of UVA games this year, other than the recent one against Duke. Wondering if SG came out with a full or 3/4 court press to start one of the two halves if that might throw off the Hoos for a bit. I can't see any way VT wins if the game is played in the halfcourt.

[Gobbler Guru]

one really expects us to win anyway? Rivalry or not, that game alone shouldn't change anything. Losing another home game to a bottom half of the conf team, maybe, but not UVA on the road.

Is that fairly or not, the more casual basketball fans of any school tend to pay more attention if you lose badly to a hated rival.

I bet at least half the VT football fanbase doesn't know or care what our ACC record is right now, or that we lost to two bad teams within the league (Wake/BC). But you can bet that if UVA spanks us in hoops, a lot of fans and alums who might not otherwise pay attention to basketball will say "hey, we need to do something about that basketball program". Particularly as many of them are also probably not aware of how UVA has resurrected their program.

I agree that losing on the road to a legit top 20 team is not a "bad loss" if that is what indeed happens on Sunday. My comment was more around the fact that fans at both schools measure their programs against each other.

[HokieJamie]

UVA on average gives up 50 a game, lucky to score 45 imo

[Pylons]

I haven't seen a lot of UVA games this year, other than the recent one against Duke. Wondering if SG came out with a full or 3/4 court press to start one of the two halves if that might throw off the Hoos for a bit. I can't see any way VT wins if the game is played in the halfcourt.

Part of me would love to see it, but as gassed as our guys got in the 1st half last night, I dunno.

And forcing up-tempo just isn't Seth's thing.

[jarrowsm]

Is that fairly or not, the more casual basketball fans of any school tend to pay more attention if you lose badly to a hated rival.

I bet at least half the VT football fanbase doesn't know or care what our ACC record is right now, or that we lost to two bad teams within the league (Wake/BC). But you can bet that if UVA spanks us in hoops, a lot of fans and alums who might not otherwise pay attention to basketball will say "hey, we need to do something about that basketball program". Particularly as many of them are also probably not aware of how UVA has resurrected their program.

I agree that losing on the road to a legit top 20 team is not a "bad loss" if that is what indeed happens on Sunday. My comment was more around the fact that fans at both schools measure their programs against each other.

But most of this conversation is in the context of this board on TSL- which (maybe I'm making an assumption here) should be mostly fans who follow the team.

It'll add fuel to the fire, yes, but we really aren't supposed to win that game anyway! So why should it change anything? Why should CSG's job be in jeopardy for losing a game nobody expected him to win (even before the BC/Wake losses)?

[SugarDaddyVT]

true....does anyone on campus even care?

[shakenbake85]

I don't think Sunday is going to decide anything regarding SG if you guys don't win. We're in the top 20 right now and playing at home in what will be a full house. As an aside, Sene rolled his ankle pretty hard last night and didn't come back in the game. Still waiting to hear a diagnosis on it...

[SugarDaddyVT]

not sure what your response has to do with my question, thanks